In the World of the High Tech Redneck, the Graybeard is the old guy who earned his gray by making all the mistakes, and tries to keep the young 'uns from repeating them. Silicon Graybeard is my term for an old hardware engineer; a circuit designer. The focus of this blog is on doing things, from radio to home machine shops and making all kinds of things, along with comments from a retired radio engineer running from tech or science news to economics; from firearms to the world at large.

Friday, December 23, 2016

Sig Sauer and the MCX - How Recalls Should Be Handled

Although I'm not affected by the recall, I bow deeply to Sig Sauer for the way they're handling the MCX recall. I got the recall emails, presumably because I'm a registered Sig owner, although possibly because I enter their contests all the time. The way Sig is handling this is exemplary. Since the meat of the email is only two paragraphs long, I'm going to excerpt it here, with bold added in a few places:

SIG SAUER is conducting a mandatory replacement of the carriage
assembly in SIG MCX rifles. SIG has found through extensive factory
testing that in extremely rare instances, not reported in the field and
extremely difficult to replicate, a condition may exist causing an
unintended discharge. Failure to follow the loading procedures and basic
rules of safe firearms handling outlined in the user’s manual has the
potential to cause serious bodily harm or death. Although this has only
been witnessed in 300 blackout, SIG has decided to upgrade all MCX
models since the MCX is a modular platform and we want to ensure the
quality and reliability of all products we manufacture.

Stop use of firearm immediately, and visit the SIG SAUER
website listed below as soon as possible to register your firearm,
initiate the process and view a video explaining how to change out your
carriage assembly. SIG will send you a prepaid box to return your
complete carriage assembly to the factory. A new assembly, designed with
the firing pin locking mechanism, will be shipped out to you within 5-7
working days of the receipt of your parts at no cost to you. Please
note total in transit times will vary based on geographic locations. SIG
will also send you a $50 gift voucher for any inconvenience this may
have caused. This upgraded carriage assembly addresses this potential
issue while enhancing the performance and longevity of your rifle. You
may also contact SIG SAUER customer service at the number below with any
questions if needed.

In my mind, this is textbook perfect handling. They found the issue through their "extensive factory testing", which based on my experience, I interpret as reliability testing (in our business, we called it HALT - Highly Accelerated Life Testing and was done by testing beyond the products' rated limits; you are basically trying to induce failure). It was never reported by a customer or field user. It was hard to duplicate even in the testing lab, but it could possibly cause an ND. Even though it only showed up in one caliber, since users can reconfigure the firearm, it could affect guns that are setup for an unaffected caliber today at some time in the future. So Sig Sauer told their customers to let us know you have one, we'll send you a box to return the subassembly, we'll get the replacement out to you in a business week, and include a $50 gift voucher.

I'm shocked at the bad reactions I see on the Firearms Blog.

By contrast, I first heard and talked about the Taurus issue with unsafe Millennium pistols back in August of 2015. The Millenniums were being returned because of real field problems, not testing at Taurus: customers were observing discharges when the gun should not have fired. At that time, I learned there was a legal settlement to complaints about the guns. Taurus did the old, "deny, deny, deny" tactic. Again, bold added.

“The Taurus Companies do not admit liability in connection with the settlement,” the official told Grand View Outdoors.
“If anyone has one of these pistols, we are happy to inspect it under
the warranty and suggest that they send it to us so that we can do so.”

I've chronicled my problems with Taurus since then. I sent my Generation 1 Taurus Millenium Pro (PT-145) back then; August 19th, 2015. In brief, I've followed up a few times, the first at three months (when they said the gun would be returned in 6-8 weeks) and was given a story, then a few months later when I was given another story. This August, on the one year anniversary of turning my gun over to them, I got yet another story. From the transcript of my customer service chat:

... your firearm is a part of a class action settlement. All information related to the matter can be found at www.tauruscartersettlement.com.
A Third Party Administrator has set up this site , and can handle
inquires. Please visit the website. You can fill out the contact us form
or call the number on the website for further assistance. https://www.tauruscartersettlement.com/

A few weeks ago, I wrote a letter (actual snail mail!) to the law firm mentioned on the settlement website. There were two reasons for this: the first was to make sure that my registration on the site showed up (there is no feedback) and then to see what the status is. From one viewpoint, I handed over a gun that was not known to be bad 16 months ago in exchange for absolutely nothing. Much to my surprise, I had a phone call from one of the lawyers on that case. What I learned is that the settlement was contested by someone else (trying to get more back from Taurus, I suppose), that contesting was denied by the courts, and that denial is in appeal. If I wanted my gun back, they could almost certainly get it returned to me, but I'd be giving up my spot in the line of returned guns. The attorney stated there are few returns to Taurus now, and once this is finalized, they expect more of a flood. Right now, I'm closer to the front of the line than I'll ever be.

The terms of what Taurus will do about this are unchanged. Under the "enhanced warranty" option, Taurus will repair or replace at their discretion, except that there is no known repair. If an owner opts for a buyback, Taurus will buy the gun back at a currently unknown price. The original settlement set a fixed dollar payout amount that Taurus would not have to exceed in total, so they won't know how much they're paying out until they know how many people are applying. I understand that the maximum payout will be $200. It could go lower. $200 is considerably less than I paid for mine, even as a used gun. The only option that makes any sense to me is wait for the replacement gun.

Given the way Taurus has handled this problem with their guns and how Sig Sauer is handling the MCX issue, Sig is the better company by a mile. Hands down. No question about it.

That's one of the those subjects that's unexpectedly deep. I really think that it's personal preference in the end.

I really learned on and used the most was a striker-fired gun (Springfield Armory XDm), not a 1911. What I carry all the time is a SiG that's SA only. Going back and forth between the Sig and my XD or XDm doesn't seem to mess me up. But maybe I'm messed up all the time.

Maybe we should say, "without this country's "Legal" system getting involved" so far. The fact that the fault was never seen in the field and the recall is preemptive may have something to do with it. I can imagine that if users had sued Sig to start with it might play out differently.

AN ADDITIONAL FACT IS IF YOU HAVE PURCHASED AN AFTERMARKET TRIGGER FOR YOUR MCX IS THAT IT WILL NO LONGER WORK WITH THE NEW BOLT CARRIER GROUP.GIESSELE IS CURRENTLY MANUFACTURING A MODIFIED SSA TO WORK WITH THE NEW BOLT CARRIER GROUP.THIS WILL ALSO BE SENT TO YOU UPON RECEIPT OF YOUR CURRENT AFTER MARKET TRIGGER HAS BEEN RECEIVED BY SIG SAUER. NO MENTION OF AMOUNT OF TIME OR PREPAID POSTAGE AND BOX HAS BEEN MADE FOR THIS PROCESS.QUESTIONS I HAVE ARE AS FOLLOWS:1)WILL SIG SAUER BE EATING THE POSTAGE FOR THIS PROCESS?2)IN THE EVENT THAT YOUR NOT A GIESSELLE FAN WHAT THAN?POSSIBLY WAIT FOR YOU AFTERMARKET MANUFACTURER TO COME OUT WITH THEIR VERSION?3)HOW DOES THIS EFFECT SIG SAUERS ABILITY TO MARKET THE FIREARM AS MODULAR AND AN EASILY ADAPTABLE FIREARM UNDER WHICH THOSE ADVANTAGES THE MCX WAS ORIGINALLY MARKETED?4) WILL THE COST OF FUTURE CALIBER CONVERSION KITS BE EFFECTED BY THE NEED TO RECAPTURE CAPITAL LOST IN THIS UNFORTUNATE EVENT?

First I've heard of the trigger issue. I'm sure you realize I'm not speaking for Sig in any way. I don't even own an MCX, but from what I read, they sound like they're doing it right.

1. The email clearly says Sig Sauer is paying postage both ways: (second paragraph) "SIG will send you a prepaid box ... A new assembly, ... will be shipped out to you ... at no cost to you."

2: no idea. Sounds like a question for whoever made your trigger.

3: Again, the email clearly says that's the case: "Although this has only been witnessed in 300 blackout, SIG has decided to upgrade all MCX models since the MCX is a modular platform". The whole point of a big recall, and not just recalling only 300 Blackout models, is to make sure you can change calibers at any time in the future.

4: Sounds like you should email Sig Sauer.

Again, I don't speak for Sig, they don't know me from any other random dude on the internet with a blog. My purpose was to gripe about how much better Sig is treating their customers than Taurus is treating me.

I APPRECIATE YOUR IMMEDIATE RESPONSE AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AS WELL AS OPINION.I HAD ONLY ASKED THOSE 4 QUESTIONS IN THE HOPES OF POSSIBLY SOMEONE HAVING HAD BEEN THROUGH THIS WITH POSSIBLY SIG OR EVEN ANOTHER MANUFACTURER AND WANTED TO SEE IF ANYONE HAD FEEDBACK REGARDING SUCH.I HAD NOT RECEIVED AN E MAIL AND DO OWN AN MCX. I LEARNED OF THE TRIGGER AS PER AN ARTICLE ELSEWHERE AND SPOKE TO A REP OF SIG ON THE TELEPHONE AND THEIR THE ONE WHO HAD MENTIONED THE PROCESS FOR THE TRIGGER LATER AFTER THE CARRIER GROUP SWAP.I'M SURE MORE INFORMATION WILL BE RELEASED REGARDING THE SPECIFICS OF THE TRIGGER PROCESS AS TIME WEARS ON.THEIR STILL IRONING OUT THE DETAILS I AM CERTAIN AS YOU HAVE DULY NOTED THEY ARE GETTING IN FRONT OF THIS.AGGREED I AM WITH YOU REGARDING THEIR AGGRESSIVE EFFORT TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT AND I MUST ALSO STATE I HAVE HAD SEVERAL INTERACTIONS WITH CUSTOMER SERVICE AS WELL AS THEIR REPS REGARDING OTHER ISSUES NOT RELATED TO FIREARM FAILURES/PROBLEMS BUT MORE SPECIFICALLY WHERE I WOULD BE ABLE TO ACQUIRE LENS CAPS,WHAT SIZE LENS CAPS AND ALTERNATE MOUNTING OPTIONS FOR THEIR ROMEO4 RED DOT SIGHT ON TOP OF AND AROUND A SIG SAUER WHISKEY 3 SCOPE.ALL KINDS OF QUESTIONS I HAVE HAD FOR THEM AND WAS GREETED CORDIALLY AND ANSWERS WERE PROVIDED EACH AND EVERY TIME.ADDITIONALLY I WAS PROVIDED SOME MINOR COMPONENTS UNEXPECTEDLY FREE OF CHARGE.SO IMPRESSED WITH SIG SAUERS CUSTOMER SERVICE AND ITS QUALITY BEING SECOND ONLY TO THE QUALITY OF PRODUCT THAT I HAVE EXPANDED MY STABLE OF SIG PRODUCTS JUST THE OTHER DAY BY PURCHASING A P226 LEGION EDITION IN 9MM.IN ADDITION I EAGERLY AWAIT THE .45 CAL VERSION TO COME OUT SOON AS THEY SEE FIT AS I WILL BE FRONT AND CENTER TRYING TO GET ONE.WHAT A BEAUTIFUL LINE OF FIREARMS AND EAGERLY ANTICIPATE ANYTHING THEY DO.INCLUDING A SIG 716 DMR WHICH I HAVE MY EYE ON AS WELL.SITTING WITH A TRJICON TR 23 WAITING ANXIOUSLY TO PUT ON IT AND GET CRACKING IN .308.MAKE NO MISTAKE I LOVE SIG I WAS JUST TRYING TO POSSIBLY DRAW ON SOMEONE ELSE'S EXPERIENCES IN SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCES.

It's always possible that someone who knows more, or someone from Sig could stop by.

I only own one Sig, a P238 pocket .380. I had to call them once, I wanted to buy a couple of screws for the scales - two of the originals fell out. I asked what they cost and they sent me four for free.

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Retired radio engineer, follower of Christ, RF designer, mentor. Radio ham, home shop machinist, lapidary, silversmith, roadie cyclist, learning to be a rifleman, and home defender, - a guy with too many interests to keep track of.

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